1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of operating a machine for filling bottles, cans, or the like containers, with a liquid filling material, particularly with beverages, using a filling machine having a plurality of filling positions, each comprising a filling device or element at which the container, at least during a portion of the filling process, is operatively connected in sealed manner with a container mouth, and via which filling device the interior space of the container, in a filling phase, is in controlled manner filled with liquid filling material, and in at least one process step carbonated under pressure. The invention further relates to a machine comprising a filling machine and a container sealing arrangement, said filling machine comprising a filling machine for filling bottles, cans, or the like containers, with a liquid filling material, with a plurality of filling positions, each of which comprises a filling device at which the corresponding container, at least during a portion of a filling process, is operatively connected with a container mouth in sealed manner and by way of which filling device the interior space of the container, in a filling phase and in controlled manner, is filled with the liquid filling material and in at least one method step is carbonated under pressure.
2. Background Information
Nowadays it is customary to produce carbonated beverages, prior to filling into bottles, cans, or the like containers, in a mixing equipment in which mixing to the fullest is carried out which precedes the filling machine in the equipment train, by mixing water with at least one further component and by subsequent mixing or treating with carbon dioxide (carbonation); and in particular the latter step is being carried out in a carbonation apparatus, which apparatus forms a part of the mixing equipment, or which comprises a separate piece of equipment. This means, inter alia, that there will be a need for carbonation apparatus in addition to the filling machine.
It is the aim of the invention to provide a method which yields a simplification in the manufacture of filled carbon dioxide containing products, particularly for the case of carbon dioxide containing beverages.
The invention teaches that this object can be accomplished by a method of operating a plant for filling beverage containers with liquid beverage filling material using a beverage filling machine and a container sealing arrangement, said beverage filling machine having a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling beverage containers, said method comprising the steps of: moving beverage containers to be filled to said filling machine; sealing the beverage containers to be filled against corresponding beverage filling devices; introducing a flow of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of each of said sealed beverage containers; filling each of said sealed beverage containers to a substantially predetermined level with said liquid beverage filling material; terminating the step of filling said sealed beverage containers upon reaching said predetermined level in each of said sealed beverage containers; introducing carbon dioxide gas into the liquid beverage filling material present in said sealed beverage containers at a pressure sufficient to effectuate mixing of said liquid beverage material with carbon dioxide gas, and mixing said liquid beverage filling material and carbon dioxide in said sealed beverage containers and thus effectuating absorption of carbon dioxide into said liquid beverage filling material; terminating the step of introducing carbon dioxide gas; distancing beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide from the corresponding beverage filling devices; removing said beverage containers filled with liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide from said beverage filling machine; said method further comprising the steps of: moving said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide from said beverage filling machine to said container sealing arrangement; moving said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide into said container sealing arrangement; and sealing each of said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide and containing said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide in each of said beverage containers and thus preventing the carbon dioxide in said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide from substantially leaking from said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide at least prior to shipping; said method yet further comprising the step of: preparing the sealed beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide for shipping from said plant to consumers.
The invention further teaches a method of operating a plant for filling beverage containers with liquid beverage filling material using a beverage filling machine having a plurality of beverage filling positions, each filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling a beverage container, each filling device comprising a return gas tube and a carbonation tube, said method comprising the steps of: moving a beverage container to be filled in sequence with other containers to said filling machine; elevating said beverage container to be filled to a corresponding filling device thereby introducing a corresponding return gas tube and a corresponding carbonation tube of said beverage filling device through the mouth of said beverage container into the interior of said beverage container, and positioning said carbonation tube deeper into said beverage container than said return gas tube; sealing said beverage container to be filled against the corresponding filling device; purging said sealed beverage container by introducing a carbon dioxide containing gas into the interior of said sealed beverage container by way of said carbonation tube, to thereby displace residual air present out of said sealed beverage container; terminating said step of purging with a carbon dioxide containing gas; at the end of said purging step, introducing a flow of a predetermined volume of non-carbonated liquid beverage filling material into the interior of said sealed beverage container with a filling device without adding additional carbon dioxide gas; terminating the step of flowing non-carbonated liquid beverage filling material into the interior of said sealed beverage container; introducing a predetermined quantity of carbon dioxide gas through said carbonation tube into the liquid beverage filling material present in said sealed beverage container, in a sufficient quantity with a sufficient pressure to effect carbonation with a sufficient saturation of said liquid beverage filling material in said sealed beverage container to absorb carbon dioxide in said liquid beverage filling material, at a pressure level above the saturation pressure sufficient to produce a carbonated beverage; terminating the step of introducing carbon dioxide gas; calming the carbonated beverage filling material in said sealed beverage container for a predetermined period of time to attain a pressure markedly below the carbon dioxide saturation pressure and thus removing excess gas bubbles; reducing the gas pressure in said sealed beverage container to a final pressure; distancing said filled beverage container filled with carbonated liquid beverage from the sealing relationship with the corresponding filling device; and removing said filled beverage container from said filling machine.
The invention also teaches a plant for filling beverage containers with liquid beverage filling material, said plant comprising: a beverage filling machine; said beverage filling machine comprising a plurality of beverage filling positions, each beverage filling position comprising a beverage filling device for filling beverage containers; apparatus to move beverage containers to be filled to said filling machine; apparatus to seal the beverage containers to be filled against corresponding beverage filling devices; said filling devices comprising apparatus to introduce a flow of liquid beverage filling material into the interior of each of said sealed beverage containers to fill each of said sealed beverage containers to a substantially predetermined level with said liquid beverage filling material; said apparatus to introduce a flow of liquid beverage filling material comprising apparatus to terminate the filling of said sealed beverage containers upon reaching said predetermined level in each of said sealed beverage containers; apparatus to introduce carbon dioxide gas into the liquid beverage filling material present in said sealed beverage containers to a pressure sufficient to effectuate mixing of said liquid beverage material with carbon dioxide gas in said sealed beverage containers, and to mix said liquid beverage filling material and carbon dioxide in said sealed beverage containers and thus to effectuate absorption of carbon dioxide into said liquid beverage filling material; said apparatus to introduce carbon dioxide gas comprising apparatus to terminate introduction of carbon dioxide gas; said apparatus to seal the beverage containers to be filled against corresponding beverage filling devices comprising apparatus to distance beverage containers, filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide, from the corresponding beverage filling devices; and said apparatus to move beverage containers to be filled comprising apparatus to remove said beverage containers filled with liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide from said beverage filling machine; said plant further comprising: a container sealing arrangement configured to seal filled beverage containers filled by said filling machine; said container sealing arrangement comprising: apparatus to position filled beverage containers in said container sealing arrangement; and apparatus to seal filled beverage containers, filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide, and thus preventing the carbon dioxide in said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide from substantially leaking from said beverage containers filled with said liquid beverage filling material mixed with carbon dioxide.
The invention further teaches a method characterized thereby that the liquid filling material in the corresponding container is mixed or, respectively, carbonated, by the introduction of a carbon dioxide gas under pressure; and by a filling machine for carrying out the method characterized that by means for carbonation of the liquid filling material in the corresponding container by introduction of the carbon dioxide gas under pressure into the filling material.
The invention is particularly addressed thereto that the mixing/treating of the filling material with carbon dioxide, that is, carbonation of the filling material is not carried out in carbonation equipment or apparatus, but is done in the filling machine, that is, in the corresponding container.
The filling material, for example, water of a fully mixed beverage without carbon dioxide, or with a reduced content of carbon dioxide, or with a negligible content of carbon dioxide, is passed to the container at the corresponding filling location and only there is provided with carbon dioxide gas in such a way that ultimately the filling material in the container comprises the required content of carbon dioxide.
The method in accordance with the invention provides for an operation without the hitherto necessary carbonation equipment or installation that precedes the filler in the equipment train, for example, during production of filled beverages containing carbon dioxide, such a mineral water, or table water, lemonades, and so forth. It is particularly possible to directly pass, for example, beverages which are mixed to the fullest in a tank, directly to the filling machine.
Further embodiments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.
The above-discussed embodiments of the present invention will be described further herein below. When the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d is used in this specification, the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d includes xe2x80x9cinventionsxe2x80x9dthat is, the plural of xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9dBy stating xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9dthe Applicant does not in any way admit that the present application does not include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention, and maintains that this application may include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention. The Applicant hereby asserts that the disclosure of this application may include more than one invention, and, in the event that there is more than one invention, that these inventions may be patentable and non-obvious one with respect to the other.